The days of nonpartisan Knoxville city elections could be limited | Georgiana Vines

Knoxville city elections in 2023 are nonpartisan so far but like in 2021 may end up having a partisan flavor.

Mayor Indya Kincannon, seeking her second four-year term, is a Democrat and has the personal support of Matt Shears, Knox County Democratic Party chairman, in the Aug. 29 primary. He said since the city elections officially are nonpartisan, the party is not making endorsements.

Among candidates she apparently will face is Jeff Talman, a vice president of Mortgage Lending Co. at Guaranteed Rate, who has a voting record as a Republican. That’s all it took after meeting him for Buddy Burkhardt, Knox County GOP chairman, to say the party will support him. He said Talman is a moderate and not “screaming right-wing stuff.”

Talman has taken out a qualifying petition to seek the mayor’s office, although he hadn’t filed a report by noon Friday on his treasurer, whom he said would be Ernie Roberts. Talman can’t raise money until the treasurer’s report is filed.

The local GOP sponsored a slate of candidates for Knoxville City Council in 2021 for the first time, with some representing opponents to the agendas of former Mayor Madeline Rogero and Kincannon. All Republicans lost the races. Since then, Burkhardt has replaced the former chairman, lawyer Daniel Herrara, who promoted the Republicans with the assistance of consultant Erik Wiatr. Burkhardt said Thursday the party will support “good, solid candidates (this year) but not to the degree we were before.”

However, other efforts are underway to try to help Republicans, their supporters indicate. A  measure to change the city’s six district elections has passed the state House with sponsorship of Rep. Elaine Davis, R-Knoxville. Under the city's present system, the top two district candidates run citywide in the general election, but the proposed legislation would have them run only in their respective districts then. Last week the measure, sponsored by Sen. Frank Niceley, R-Strawberry Plains, passed a Senate committee. It likely will go to a floor vote this week, said Knoxville Vice Mayor Andrew Roberto, who has tried to stop the proposed law. The present Knoxville city elections heretofore have been governed by the City Charter.

Legislation also was proposed to require all local and state elections to be partisan, which would affect Knoxville’s elections, and retention elections for judges who do not now have to declare whether they are a member of a political party or an independent. As of Friday, this legislation was stalled in subcommittees and not moving this year.

Besides mayor, three at-large council positions, the 5th District council seat and city judge position are up this year. Candidates can now pick up qualifying petitions and have until noon May 18 to return them with a minimum of 25 qualified voters in support of the candidacy.

Councilwoman Amelia Parker, representing seat C, has picked up a qualifying petition and returned it. She said Wednesday she is running for another term and will be supported by the Knoxville City Council Movement, which supports progressive candidates.

“I’m making sure all of Knoxville” is represented, she said.

Hasan Atatrah, organizing director for the City Council Movement, said Parker “centers,” or focuses, on “those closest to the pain.” That includes the homeless, impoverished and the LGBTQ+ community, he said.

Already raising money to oppose Parker are Matthew Best, executive director of the Change Center, and Tim Hill, a Knoxville real estate developer.

As of noon Friday, Debbie Helsley is the only candidate to pick up and return a qualifying petition for the at-large council Seat B, held by Janet Testerman, who has announced she will not seek another term.

Lynne Fugate, representing the at-large council Seat A, and Charles Thomas, representing the 5th District, are seeking reelection. Realtor Cameron Brooks is raising money to oppose Fugate.

Shears said he is supporting Helsley, who ran for Knox County mayor last year, and Brooks, a former Democratic chairman. He said he feels Best is a “stellar candidate” but fell short of an endorsement since Parker is supported by some Democrats.

Long-time City Judge John Rosson has picked up a petition for reelection, and Marshall Jensen II has picked one up to oppose Rosson.

∎ TWO GOVERNORS REMEMBER NEEL: C. Warren Neel, who served in the cabinets of former Govs. Lamar Alexander and Don Sundquist, is being remembered for his leadership in the University of Tennessee College of Business and the establishment of its Corporate Governance Center, which was renamed in his honor in 2014.

Neel died at age 85 at his Knoxville home of natural causes on March 23. A funeral service will be held today at 2 p.m. at the Episcopal Church of the Ascension, where he had served on the vestry.

Alexander, who was governor 1979-87, UT president 1988-91 and U.S. senator 2003-21, described Neel as a “builder.”

“I saw that firsthand working with him both at the University of Tennessee when he was Dean of the College of Business Administration and when he brought his leadership and business skills to state government. Warren was smart, versatile, creative and always fun to be with. Our family expresses to Warren’s family our sympathy and great respect for his consequential life,” Alexander said in a statement to this columnist.

Neel served as Alexander’s commissioner of economic security and was on his transition team when he was appointed U.S. Secretary of Education.

Sundquist was contacted by phone at the retirement center where he now lives in Colliervillle, Tennessee, since moving there from Townsend. Neel had served as his commissioner of finance and administration.

“He was a wonderful human being, one of my very best (cabinet members), had a lifetime of jobs at UT. He and Fred Lawson, who was my commissioner of banking, drove back and forth from Knoxville together (to Nashville)… . He was a great Tennessean and good for the University of Tennessee,” Sundquist said.

Neel was a native of Mobile, Alabama, and spent his childhood in Lucedale, Mississippi. His undergraduate degree was from Mississippi State University and his Master of Business Administration and doctorate were from the University of Alabama.

He came to UT in 1969 as a faculty member in the Department of Management in the College of Business Administration, and was named associate dean of the college in 1974 and dean in 1977. He served for 25 years, the official obituary said. With this background, his focus was on post-secondary education in the U.S. when on Alexander’s transition team for Secretary of Education.

Neel returned to UT to co-found the Center for Corporate Governance in 2003 and served as its director until 2013. The next year the center was named for him. The College of Business Administration is now known as the Haslam College of Business.

He served on boards of nine publicly and privately traded companies, including Saks Fifth Avenue, Clayton Homes and JTV. He also was interim president of Lincoln Memorial University in 2009.

Among survivors are his wife of 24 years, Annelle; brother, Allen Neel, Knoxville; three children and two stepchildren; and seven grandchildren and four step-grandchildren. He formerly was married to Gloria Neel, a former city housing director, with the couple divorcing in 1990.

Rose Funeral & Cremation – Mann is in charge of arrangements.

Georgiana Vines is retired News Sentinel associate editor. She may be reached at gvpolitics@hotmail.com. 

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Georgiana Vines: Days of nonpartisan city elections could be limited